Analysing the impact of digital transformation on corporate travel management
Yang, Ranwen (2020-03-25)
Yang, Ranwen
25.03.2020
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2020040210209
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2020040210209
Tiivistelmä
The research field in digital transformation has increased empirical study concentrating on value
creation to customers. Rather, few attentions have contributed on digital transformation on
internal services. Digital transformation has been defined as a series of actions in digital and
strategic changes to rethink use of technologies and capability development to bring efficiency
and effective. A standalone digital transformation strategy prioritizes business decisions and
requires managers to capture digital opportunities and minimize threats in implementation.
Therefore, the corresponding development of managerial capabilities contributes to better
understanding of strategic changes on individuals who could affect or be affected. Corporate
travel expense as the second controllable expense after salaries gains attentions from enterprise
about travel cost control and expenditure management. The use of technology could automize
and monitor travel expenditures and analysis. Travel management activities are composed as
different steps. This study only focuses on activities in travel reporting step and aims to study
the impact of digital transformation on travel reporting process and managerial capabilities.
The study was conducted as a single-case study. The empirical data was collected by semi
structured interviews, secondary data received from case company, and participant observation.
The research design is based on systematic combining approach which allows an explorative
understanding on theory and empirical phenomena. The study has identified that the objects of
digital transformation in travel reporting activities are maximizing technology capability,
improving travel policy compliance and controlling cost. The completion of strategic objectives
not only require use of advanced technologies, also managerial capabilities to sense, seize and
transform possible opportunities. Drawing from the single case study, the contributions are
twofold. Firstly, strategic and operational changes associated with travel policy compliance of
travel reporting workflow are identified. Secondly, the changes in business culture, leadership,
commitment and triadic relationship enable development of managerial capabilities in digital
transformation: the guidance of executives’ strategic belief is essential to shape right managerial
cognition; right belief on business and business environment yields assumptions and behaviors
in managers, teams and individuals; corresponding managerial skills shapes managerial human
capital and develop capacity of social capital; adaptive managerial skills allow managers to
perceive and evaluate relationship priorities about paths of firm development to concur
strategic changes. The further research recommendation is to explore the impact of digital
transformation in other corporate travel management activities apart from the reporting
process, and to deeply study the importance of triadic relationship development to enhance
managerial social capital to implement digital transformation.
creation to customers. Rather, few attentions have contributed on digital transformation on
internal services. Digital transformation has been defined as a series of actions in digital and
strategic changes to rethink use of technologies and capability development to bring efficiency
and effective. A standalone digital transformation strategy prioritizes business decisions and
requires managers to capture digital opportunities and minimize threats in implementation.
Therefore, the corresponding development of managerial capabilities contributes to better
understanding of strategic changes on individuals who could affect or be affected. Corporate
travel expense as the second controllable expense after salaries gains attentions from enterprise
about travel cost control and expenditure management. The use of technology could automize
and monitor travel expenditures and analysis. Travel management activities are composed as
different steps. This study only focuses on activities in travel reporting step and aims to study
the impact of digital transformation on travel reporting process and managerial capabilities.
The study was conducted as a single-case study. The empirical data was collected by semi
structured interviews, secondary data received from case company, and participant observation.
The research design is based on systematic combining approach which allows an explorative
understanding on theory and empirical phenomena. The study has identified that the objects of
digital transformation in travel reporting activities are maximizing technology capability,
improving travel policy compliance and controlling cost. The completion of strategic objectives
not only require use of advanced technologies, also managerial capabilities to sense, seize and
transform possible opportunities. Drawing from the single case study, the contributions are
twofold. Firstly, strategic and operational changes associated with travel policy compliance of
travel reporting workflow are identified. Secondly, the changes in business culture, leadership,
commitment and triadic relationship enable development of managerial capabilities in digital
transformation: the guidance of executives’ strategic belief is essential to shape right managerial
cognition; right belief on business and business environment yields assumptions and behaviors
in managers, teams and individuals; corresponding managerial skills shapes managerial human
capital and develop capacity of social capital; adaptive managerial skills allow managers to
perceive and evaluate relationship priorities about paths of firm development to concur
strategic changes. The further research recommendation is to explore the impact of digital
transformation in other corporate travel management activities apart from the reporting
process, and to deeply study the importance of triadic relationship development to enhance
managerial social capital to implement digital transformation.